Community | Hospitality | Nonviolence | Resistance

YOU ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR
HOLY WEEK FAITH & RESISTANCE RETREAT
at St. Stephen and the Incarnation Church
16th and Newton Streets, NW, Washington D.C.
April 20 – 22, 2011

We will begin with supper at 6:00 P.M. on April 20, 2011
and move into the schedule our communities have drawn up for the retreat, continuing through a noon witness at the White House on Friday, April 22.

WE WILL BE WORKING WITH THE THEME:
PUT AWAY THE SWORD; FOLLOW JESUS IN NONVIOLENT REVOLUTION(“Put away the Sword!” were the last words of Jesus to his disciples at the moment of his arrest)

We are also inspired by the first words of Pope Benedict XVI in 2010 Angelus message Jan.1:I would like to call out to the consciences of those who form part of armed groups of any kind. To each and every one, I say: Stop, reflect and abandon the path of violence!

We will follow the praxis of reflection/action/reflection –
seeking to grow from each public witness and preparation for and evaluation of each witness.

Join us, if you can.
Simple meals will be served at the Church; there is sleeping bag space there as well.

Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price

Wal-Mart recently announced plans to build 4 Wal-Mart stores in DC, including one on Georgia Ave NW, at the old Curtis Chevrolet site. The site is located just north of Missouri Avenue, in Ward 4.

As District residents, many of Ward 4 in particular, we are coming together to say “No!” to this; no to the the corporate takeover of our neighborhood, no to the higher unemployment that Wal-Mart will ultimately create, no to the driving down of wages in other retail jobs (caused by Wal-Mart’s low wages), no to the closing of small businesses (current and future) due to Wal-Mart’s presence, no to the poverty wages that Wal-Mart pays their employees, no to the sweatshop wages that the workers that make many products for Wal-Mart stores are paid, no to the funding of conservative political candidates by Wal-Mart executives and political actions committees (some of whom oppose Statehood for the District), no to the tax burden that Wal-Mart adds by not paying its employees enough to afford the limited health care that it offers to some, no to Wal-Mart’s discrimination against women, and on, and on, and on.

Time is of the essence as the developers (Foulger-Pratt, which owns the Ward 4 site, plans to lease it to Wal-Mart) and Wal-Mart executives salivate over the DC market.

People are organizing across the city. This will be one reference point among many for organizing efforts to STOP Wal-Mart from setting up shop in Washington, DC. We are not interested in negotiating with Wal-Mart, but in having them not enter the city.

A Call to Demonstrate on March 21st for Six Zimbabwean Activists Facing the Death Penalty for Discussing Egypt

Join us Monday, March 21st at 12 noon at the Embassy of Zimbabwe 1608 New Hampshire Avenue NW.

Bring signs, banners, bullhorns, and your desire for justice!

Six people in Zimbabwe are now imprisoned on charges of treason for organizing a meeting to discuss the mass movements in Tunisia and Egypt. For this “crime” they face a possible death sentence. They have been tortured and are now in solitary confinement.

An international day of action to demand their release will be held on Monday, March 21, when they are scheduled for a court hearing. Our message is simple and urgent: We demand that the government of Zimbabwe drop all charges and release them immediately. At present, demonstrations on that date are planned for Britain, South Africa, and the United States, with more to be announced.

The worldwide significance of the struggle to free the Zimbabwean prisoners is reflected in a recent statement of support from the Congress of South African Trade Unions. “The Egyptian and Tunisian experience have inspired many workers and poor people all over the world to stand up and demand an end to dictatorship, corruption and injustice of whatever kind.”

The arrest and prosecution of the six may seem like only the latest round of repression by Robert Mugabe’s government against opponents. But it is also an attack on the spirit of Tahrir Square, which has inspired people all over the world. The six prisoners include trade unionists, intellectuals, and activists in the struggle for women’s rights.

The effort to suppress them – and even to kill them, whether by execution or through torture and denial of medical treatment while in custody – is a vicious assault on all of us. An injury to one is an injury to all!

Friday, March 18Pre-Action Gathering5-8 pmBusboys and Poets, 5th and K Streets NW
Speakers and live music
Speakers include Medea Benjamin, Chris Hedges, and David Swanson
Music by Deadwood, with special guest Watermelon Slim

Sunday, March 20
Rally and March to Quantico for Bradley Manning2 pm
Main St. and Rt. 1 (Jeff Davis Hwy.), Quantico, VA
See bradleymanning.org for more information.
Two 56-person buses have been reserved for five hours. Board buses in front of Union Station, 2 Massachusetts Avenue NE, in Washington, D.C., at 12:30 p.m.
Buses will be boarding to return from Triangle/Quantico at 4:30 p.m.
To reserve tickets for the bus ($10 round-trip): www.couragetoresist.org/bus

Housing will be available Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night at St. Stephen’s Church, 1525 Newton Street NW (corner of 16th Street), AFTER 9 pm. Please do not go to the church before 9 pm. Anyone staying at the church must be respectful of whatever else may be going on there at the time.You will need a sleeping bag. There are no secure provisions for leaving belongings at St. Stephen’s.

The Washington Peace Center, Military Families Speak Out, United for Peace and Justice and others are collaborating on this forum exploring the effects of our over-inflated military budget on our local communities. Hear from local DC organizers on how the economic crisis is affecting DC and how we can work together across issues to change the situation.